Concept explainers
Mycoplasma is a type of bacteria that are mostly pathogenic to humans and animals. Mycoplasma lacks cell wall and all of them are resistant to a wide spectrum of antibiotics.
Answer to Problem 1TQ
To differentiate the DNA of Mycoplasma capricolum from the synthetic DNA of Mycoplasma mycoides, Daniel Gibson added a gene that encodes for a blue pigment.
Therefore, option (c) is correct.
Explanation of Solution
Justify reasons for the correct statement:
Gene is the hereditary material composed of
Option (c) is given as “gene”.
Hence, option (c) is correct.
Justify reasons for the incorrect statements:
Option (a) is given as “cell”.
The cell is functional unit of all living organisms. Mycoplasma is a prokaryotic cell that itself cannot be used to differentiate the bacterial colony with the synthetic DNA. Gene coding for a blue pigment can be used to recognize the transformed bacterial colony. Hence, it is a wrong answer.
Option (b) is given as “chromosome”.
Chromosome is a condensed DNA structure present inside nucleus that contains numerous gene and not a single gene. Gene coding for a blue pigment can be used to recognize the transformed bacterial colony. Hence, it is a wrong answer.
Option (d) is given as “bacterium”.
The bacterium is a cell and it is a general term that depicts all bacterial communities. A single bacterium hosts numerous genes in plasmid and nucleoid. Gene coding for a blue pigment can be used to recognize the transformed bacterial colony. Hence, it is a wrong answer.
Hence, options (a), (b), and (d) are incorrect.
Gene is a functional hereditary unit on DNA, and its expression and product brings the phenotypic changes in an organism.